Major Lathar promised wife of returning from sortie by evening

Sat Singh

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, December 1

The mortal remains of Major Sanjeev Lathar (33, in pic) from Bhiwani, who was killed on Wednesday when an Army helicopter crashed at Sukna military base in West Bengal, would be brought to Bhiwani from Delhi tomorrow.

Major Sanjeev’s parents live at Vidhya Nagar here. His father Mahender Singh Lathar had retired as a sub-inspector of the Haryana Police.

Raju Mann, the officer’s brother-in-law, told The Tribune that Sanjeev had visited his family last time on Holi.

Major Sanjeev joined the aviation wing of the Army and became an instructor to train officers. He was posted with the 54 Gorkha Regiment at Siliguri, West Bengal. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel was due in June next year.

A family member said they received a phone call from his unit in Siliguri on Wednesday afternoon informing them about the tragedy. Earlier in the morning, he spoke to his wife Shalini about going on a helicopter sortie and promised to return by the evening.

His father and other relatives had left for Delhi to take the mortal remains to be brought to Bhiwani. Family members said after bringing the body, they would perform the last rites at their native village Buda Khera near Julana of Jind district tomorrow.